Trans Mountain’s new schedule

The National Energy Board (NEB) has implemented an excluded period for the review of the Trans Mountain Expansion project beginning on 17 September 2015 and ending 8 January 2016, to acquire additional information related to the project.

The NEB has a legislated time limit of 15 months from the date it determines an application is complete until issuing a decision or recommendation to Governor in Council. The term excluded period refers to the provision in the NEB Act that allows the NEB to exclude a period of time from its legislated 15 month time limit.

This announcement follows a decision by the project hearing panel on 21 August 2015 to strike evidence from the hearing record.

Trans Mountain must file replacement evidence by 25 September 2015. The remaining procedural steps and deadlines are outlined in the revised hearing schedule.

Quick facts

The NEB will now release its Recommendation Report by 20 May 2016. Prior to this excluded period, the report was scheduled to be released on 26 January 26 2016.

This is the second excluded period for the project. The first excluded period was from 11 July 2014 to 3 February 2015, to allow Trans Mountain to file additional studies related to a new preferred corridor through Burnaby Mountain.

The project is a proposal to expand the existing Trans Mountain pipeline system between Edmonton, AB and Burnaby, BC. It would include approximately 987 km of new pipeline, new and modified facilities, such as pump stations and tanks, and the reactivation of 193 km of existing pipeline. The Westridge Marine Terminal would also be expanded.